REDS NOTES
Fogg will miss start after being hit by batting-practice ball
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
CINCINNATI — The T-shirt hanging on Josh Fogg's locker read: "Sorry About Your Face."
Fogg figures it came from Aaron Harang, "Because I've seen him wear it," and the t-shirt was in honor of the 30 stitches Fogg took in his upper lip region.
Fogg took a Joey Votto line drive off his face during batting practice Tuesday and on Wednesday manager Dusty Baker asked, "Have you seen Fogg? He looks like Mike Tyson got him."
Said Fogg, "Yeah, for one round." Then he added, "I didn't lose consciousness and I didn't hit the ground. Is that all Votto's got?"
Well, it was enough to knock Fogg out of his scheduled start Friday against Colorado.
With an off day today, Baker had hoped to push all his starters back a day for extra rest, but that won't happen now. Edinson Volquez takes Fogg's place Friday.
"He's a lucky guy," said Baker of Fogg. "He didn't break any bones or lose any teeth. I'm always afraid of that. It's hard to pay attention to everything that is going on during batting practice."
Fogg was playing catch in short right field, "Where all the pitchers work out," he said. "Somebody yelled heads up. I should have kept mine down. I was about to throw a ball and turned when they yelled. I should have turned the other way.
"I have no broken bones, just a chipped tooth," he said. "I'm waiting for it to stop bleeding. I could pitch Friday, but no sense rushing it and everybody can go on normal rest and let me heal a little bit."
Bailey targeted
Homer Bailey has a message and a solid object waiting for the right person: "Tell him if I catch him I have a bullet waiting for him."
He was kidding — about the bullet part.
For the second time this year, Bailey's truck was broken into, "The first time in Louisville when they stole a radar detector."
The second time was Tuesday night near his apartment in Northern Kentucky.
"Let's see, there was Jay Bruce's Cadillac Escalade parked next to my gray Dodge truck. Which one do you break into?" said Bailey. "My gray truck, of course."
The amazing part is that they took nothing, just broke out windows, leaving a shotgun, money and an arrow holder in the truck. Bruce walked by with a smile and said, "Didn't get me and I had framed and signed jerseys of Derek Jeter and A-Rod in my car."
More time for Freel
Ryan Freel is expected to miss at least four to six more weeks while he recuperates from Wednesday's surgery to repair the torn distal hamstring tendon behind his right knee.
Freel has been on the disabled list since June 3 when he collapsed halfway to first base running out a ground ball in Philadelphia.
Saluting a legend
When 42-year-old Greg Maddux walked off the mound, probably for the final time in Cincinnati, the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
"That was cool," said Maddux. "I love Cincinnati. As a kid I went to two baseball parks, Dodger Stadium and Riverfront Stadium. I loved The Big Red Machine big-time and I used to sit in left field and watch George Foster."
Maddux's brother, Mike, a former major-league pitcher and now Milwaukee's pitching coach, was born in Dayton.
Quote(s) of the day
Manager Dusty Baker was en route to the airport in a friend's car for the Reds last trip before the All-Star break and the car broke down. "A policeman gave me a ride and I was sitting down low in the back seat so nobody would see me, then when we got to the airport the flight was canceled."
Said Chris Buckley, Reds director of scouting, borrowing from the movie. "We need a few good men. And they're hard to find."




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